1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle license plate holders, and in particular to locking devices and shields that protect against theft of the annual renewal stickers in the corners and the whole license plate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
License plate and registration sticker theft is becoming more rampant and widespread. Simple screws are usually used to secure license plates to cars and so they are quick and easy to remove. Thieves and other criminals often steal license plates and use them on their cars in the commission of other crimes, and petty thefts of the stickers is common by people who haven't paid their own annual renewal fees.
One particular problem has been the use of stolen license plates by gas thieves who drive into filling stations, fill up, and drive away without paying. If the license number is reported, the police will be looking for the wrong car owner, e.g., the first victim.
The victims of these crimes are often unaware of the theft until a traffic officer stops them and cites them. Replacing the missing licenses and tags requires more fees to be paid and a trip to the DMV offices. Such offices are usually quite distant, have long waiting lines, and their business hours coincide with the victim's job shift. Getting cited means paying fines and making court appearances.
A few companies are marketing products intended to help protect license plates from damage and theft. For example, see www.platemate-enterprises.com. The present inventor, Steve Parenti describes a license plate lock in U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,107, issued Oct. 23, 2001, and a reversible locking license plate and registration sticker protection frame in U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,483, issued May 17, 2005.
Some of the prior art products being marketed commercially in the United States include plastic sheet to cover the entire license plate. But many States have made covering their license plates or coating them illegal because these treatments can interfere with the reflective qualities and how well traffic enforcement cameras can image the license numbers. These products also use simple key locks that are relatively easy to break open.
What is needed is a license plate security frame that is strong, includes a high quality lock, and covers the mounting screws and stickers without covering the main surface that includes the license numbers and their background. The use of such a security frame should be acceptable in every State.